Granma is left completely in the dark after an electrical failure

The province of Granma woke up this Monday without electricity after an automatic disconnection occurred in the 220 kV transmission line that connects it to the rest of the National Electric Power System (SEN). The Electric Company of Granma reported the failure through the state channel CNC TV Granma, but was unable to specify the causes of the incident.

"A shot occurred in the 220 KV line that supplies the province, the causes of which are not known at this time," the entity stated in its announcement.

In the electrical sector, a "trip" refers to the automatic disconnection triggered by protection systems in response to anomalies in voltage, frequency, or short circuits. When this occurs on the main line supplying Granma, the province is completely isolated from the national system.

The specialists from the Provincial Cargo Office mobilized immediately to implement the restoration protocols. The company stated that "it is expected that electricity service will be restored in the area in the coming hours" and expressed regret for the inconveniences caused to the population.

The cut comes at the worst possible time for the national energy grid. The Electric Union (UNE) forecasted on Monday a supply of only 1,030 MW against a maximum demand of 2,900 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 1,870 MW that leaves more than 64% of the country's maximum demand unmet. By six in the morning, there were already 1,176 MW affected nationwide.

On Sunday, a new incident occurred on the Cueto–Renté line that disconnected Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo from the SEN.

The blackout this Monday is not an isolated incident. So far in 2026, Granma has experienced at least four total or partial outages related to failures in 220 kV lines. The most recent one before this occurred on October 10, when a massive blackout in eastern Cuba left Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo without power for several hours, affecting around 3.4 million people.

So far this year, the SEN has completely collapsed at least eight times, with the last total blackout recorded on September 18, from which recovery took approximately 32 hours. The consequences of the crisis extend beyond the darkness: the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources acknowledged that about 2.5 million Cubans are affected by water supply disruptions because power outages prevent the operation of pumping systems.